Go Fetch!

by Bailey Coldwell

Teaching your dog to play fetch is a common goal for dog handlers. Fetch seems to be THE game to play with your dog. Many new handlers are surprised when their dog doesn’t immediately love fetch. Now what? If your dog enjoys the game of fetch, we will also discuss ways to help keep them safe while playing and prevent them from becoming ball-obsessed. 

We as humans have different hobbies. While one friend’s favorite hobby is staying home and reading, another friend might prefer being part of the local volleyball team. Just as humans enjoy different activities, dogs often do too. Sure, we can still try to teach “fetch”, which can be found in our “Just for Fun” program. But also consider how you would feel if someone was trying to force you to do a hobby that wasn’t fun for you. So if your dog doesn’t seem to be a fan of fetch, maybe you can experiment with something such as scent work, rally, free shaping activities, agility, or frisbee.

Some dogs, on the other hand, seem to be able to play fetch forever without getting sick of it. Even though they enjoy it so much, we want to help set them up for success. Fetch can be hard on their bodies. Here are some potential issues with fetch to keep in mind: 

• The quick turns trying to chase an unpredictable ball can lead to sudden stops and unnatural movements. In fact, a few years ago, my Labrador retriever (who of course, LOVES fetch) severely broke her toe due to trying to chase a bouncing ball. She then had to be on crate rest for a few months. Cranial cruciate ligament tears, strain injuries, and broken bones are some risks associated with fetch. 

• Some dogs will want to play fetch until they get to the point where they are exhausted. When dogs are fatigued, they are more prone to injuries due to less control of their bodies.

• Creating “marathon runners” by overdoing fetch tends to happen. When someone is training for a marathon, a few miles might seem challenging at first. Then a few miles is easy and ten miles is hard. Soon, ten miles is easy and fifteen is hard. If we are playing fetch for the main purpose of trying to tire our dogs out by repetitive throwing of a ball, we can get the opposite results where it takes more and more physical activity for dogs to be tired. 

• Overstimulation through fetch can quickly lead to dogs doing unwanted behaviors such as biting us, jumping, barking, unable to redirect, etc. 

• When dogs are overaroused and hyperfixating on a fetch item, they are more likely to follow a bouncing ball into the road or collide into structures. 

• Heat stroke can happen quickly with dogs when they are playing nonstop fetch. 

• Ball obsession is a real thing, and not fun! Handlers have to hide balls, make sure that balls aren’t out at a friend's home if they go to visit, not allow kids to have balls around, etc. Dogs can start to resource guard when they become ball obsessed, demand to play, and not be able to follow through with any other direction from us. 

Does all of this mean we can’t play fetch with our dogs? No, not necessarily. Here are some ideas to encourage safe fetch: 

• Warm up their muscles beforehand by letting them sniff around, doing some training, recall work, etc. Just as human athletes don’t immediately start a sport, we want to gradually prepare our dogs for intense running. 

• Pay attention to your dog’s body language. If the dog is stopping and lying down or not seeming eager to continue, listen to them and take a break or stop. If they are panting intensely, take a break or stop. 

• Pick your environment carefully. Avoid throwing a toy for your dog to fetch in a wooded area, uneven ground, or an area with many obstacles. Stick with fairly even ground or ground with a slight incline. 

• Hide and seek. This is a game I usually opt for instead of a lot of fetch. I hide the toy for my dog, and then allow her to go find it. This encourages softer movements with less intensity, while still providing physical, mental, and olfactory stimulation. 

• Fetch can be a good way to work on training. Put your dog in a sit-stay. Place the ball somewhere or toss it for them, let it settle, then release. Instead of chasing an erratically moving object, the ball is stationary, leading to fewer uncontrollable body actions.  

• Prevent nonstop fetch. Add in training, as well as just taking a break. This will help the dog take breaks from the repetitions and help to bring their energy levels back down.  

• Simply allowing your dog to be a dog. Let them run around, sniff, and so on, while outside. Dogs don’t need constant direction from us. I find it enjoyable to simply watch my dog take in the outside environment in ways that they find rewarding. 

• When throwing the ball, do your best to make it predictable. Lower to the ground, in a straight line, and not too far. 

I hope this helps you consider some tips for playing fetch with your dog. Be mindful that not all dogs will love it; some dogs will naturally love it too much, and we want to help set our dogs up for success.